Monday, November 6, 2023

Alaska New data shows a decline in number of seafood harvesting jobs New data from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce development show a decline in harvesting jobs for 2022. Alaska News Source by Georgina Fernandez - November 2, 2023 ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - New data from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development show a decline in harvesting jobs last year. https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/11/03/new-data-shows-decline-number-seafood-harvesting-jobs/ Commercial fish report shows impact of set-net closure KDLL by Riley Board - November 3, 2023 A recent report from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game shows the impact of the closure of a prominent fishery on the 2023 season for the commercial salmon industry in Upper Cook Inlet. Set-netters are worried about the future of their fishery, and the possible long-term impacts of over escapement. https://www.kdll.org/local-news/2023-11-03/commercial-fish-report-shows-impact-of-set-net-closure ADF&G’s 2024 Forecast for Bristol Bay is 39M Sockeye, 15.5 M Less Fish Than 2023 Return SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - November 6, 2023 The Alaska Department of Fish and Game just released their 2024 sockeye forecast for Bristol Bay, and the trend downward is continuing. The total run for Bristol Bay in 2024 is predicted to be 39 million sockeye, 10.7 million less than the 2023 prediction and 15.5 million less than this year’s actual return. The run forecast is 35% smaller than the most recent 10-year average of 60.20 million fish and 6% greater than the long-term average of 36.83 million fish, in the time series of 1963–2023. A run of 39 million sockeye means the harvest is predicted at 26.11 million fish: 25.01 m sockeye in Bristol Bay and 1.10 million in the South Peninsula June fishery. A harvest of this size is 39% less than the most recent 10-year average harvest of 40.72 million (ranging from 28.75 to 60.52 million), and 8% greater than the long-term (1963–2023) average harvest of 23.15 million fish. Last August, the University of Washington’s Fisheries Research Institute (UW-FRI) issued a preliminary preseason 2024 forecast run of 38.9 million Bristol Bay sockeye salmon, with a harvest of 26.4 million fish. The standard UW-FRI Preseason Forecast with updated numbers is slated for release this month and will include abundance estimates by age class for all nine rivers in Bristol Bay, plus anticipated 2024 harvest in numbers and pounds. Authors of that forecast are Daniel Schindler and Ray Hilborn of the UW School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, UW quantitative ecologist Curry Cunningham and UW research scientist Chris Boatright. Age-specific forecasts from ADF&G predict half of the returning sockeye (19.6 million) will be age-1.2 fish; 13% or 5.17 million of the total run will be age-2.2 fish; and 31% or 12.06 million fish will be age-1.3 fish. Five percent are predicted to be age-2.3 year fish next year. By comparison, the 2023 run was dominated by 3-ocean fish, or fish with three years of ocean growth. The 1.3 age class composed 61% of the total run to Bristol Bay — well over its preseason forecast of 46%. Age 2.3 fish made up the next largest component of the run at 19%, which was also above the forecasted 9%. Fish with two years of marine growth (1.2s and 2.2s) made up most of the remaining age classes seen in 2023. The 1.2 and 2.2 age classes made up 13% and 5% of the total return, respectively, which is less than half of their preseason forecasts. Since 2001, ADF&G forecasts have under-forecast the run by 15% and have ranged from 36% below the actual run in 2014 to 21% above the actual run in 2011. Individual river district forecasts for 2024 are, according to ADF&G: Naknek/Kvichak: a 15.40 million run and a harvest of 8.06 million sockeye. Egegik: 5.70 million run producing a harvest of 4.44 million. Ugashik: 4.78 million run with a harvest of 3.69 million. Nushagak: 12.42 million run with a harvest of 8.29 million Togiak: 70,000 sockeye run with a harvest of 52,000 sockeye. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1265022/ADFGs-2024-Forecast-for-Bristol-Bay-is-39M-Sockeye-15-point-5-M-Less-Fish-Than-2023-Return International US lawmaker believes he now has enough support to ban Russian seafood reprocessed in China from US market The Republican senator's previously attempt to move the bill along was stymied. Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - November 3, 2023 US Senator from Alaska Dan Sullivan during a video presentation Thursday at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute's (ASMI) All Hands on Deck annual meeting implied that a ban on Russia-origin seafood reprocessed in China and sold in the US market might be close to becoming a reality. https://www.intrafish.com/legal/us-lawmaker-believes-he-now-has-enough-support-to-ban-russian-seafood-reprocessed-in-china-from-us-market/2-1-1547756 *Requires Subscription Environment/Science EPA plans to limit or eliminate salmon-killing tire chemical found in preliminary Alaska sampling Alaska Beacon by James Brooks - November 3, 2023 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin the process to limit and possibly eliminate a chemical commonly used in car tires, after scientific studies found that the chemical — commonly known as 6PPD — is fatal to salmon. https://alaskabeacon.com/briefs/epa-plans-to-limit-or-eliminate-salmon-killing-tire-chemical-found-preliminary-alaska-sampling/ Labeling and Marketing 3MMI - Atlantic Cod & Pollock: Cod Supply Tight, More Pollock, Impending Price Ceiling TradexFoods - November 6, 2023 --- Atlantic Cod supplies are going to be tight as the Barents Sea Cod quotas are cut 20%. Russia’s Pollock TAC is set to increase to 2.29 million tonnes for 2024. Rising inflation may compel consumers/processors to opt for more affordable wild and farmed whitefish varieties. Watch to Find Out More. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmLXqHuDZkE&t=5s Pacific Seafood Processors Association 1900 W Emerson Place Suite 205, Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: 206.281.1667 E-mail: admin@pspafish.net; Website: www.pspafish.net Our office days/hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. *Inclusion of a news article, report, or other document in this email does not imply PSPA support or endorsement of the information or opinion expressed in the document.